Objective To systematically review the efficacy and safety of a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) in patients who were overweight or obese. Methods From inception to August 2021, the electronic databases PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, and CBM were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of VLCKD in patients with overweight or obesity. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 software. Results A total of 5 RCTs involving 245 patients were included. Among patients with baseline body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2, the meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, VLCKD could significantly reduce the BMI (MD=−0.24, 95%CI −0.39 to −0.08, P<0.05), weight (MD=−7.00, 95%CI −10.48 to −3.53, P<0.05) and waist circumference (MD=−7.40, 95%CI −12.68 to −2.12, P<0.05) . The subgroup analysis results showed that compared with the control diet, VLCKD could significantly reduce the glucose (MD=−9.60, 95%CI −17.52 to −1.69, P<0.05), glycated hemoglobin (MD=−0.24, 95%CI −0.39 to −0.08, P<0.05), insulin resistance index (MD=−0.90, 95%CI −1.08 to −0.73, P<0.05) and triglycerides (MD=−41.42, 95%CI −53.78, −29.06, P<0.05) in patients with type 2 diabetes and with obesity or overweight. In patients with obesity or overweight, VLCKD could increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD=8.60, 95%CI 0.17 to 17.03, P<0.05) when the intervention lasted longer than 12 months. In patients with obesity or overweight, VLCKD had no effect on insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, urea, creatinine, or uric acid. Patients with VLCKD had a higher rate of adverse events than those in the control groups; however, there was no significant difference in the rate when the intervention lasted longer than 4 months. Conclusion The current evidence shows that VLCKD can reduce BMI, weight, and waist circumference and reduce fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin resistance index, and triglycerides among patients with type 2 diabetes and with obesity or overweight. However, VLCKD has no effect on insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, urea, creatinine, or uric acid. Due to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of behavior intervention through diets and exercises on blood glucose controlling in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and to provide the basis for GDM therapy. MethodsA total of 116 patients with GDM diagnosed and treated in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between March 2011 and December 2012 were taken as our study objects, including 72 patients in the study group and 44 patients in the control group, based on their will. For patients in the study group, we carried out behavior interventions through diets and exercises, including dietary guidance, giving pamphlet and formulating exercise plan, while for patients in the control group, we only gave them oral guidance and publicity materials. The same questionnaire was used to collect all the patients' information. Follow-up was done once in every 3 days, and rechecking was performed 2 weeks later. The results of oral glucose tolerance test and the rate of pathoglycemia were compared in these groups before and after intervention. ResultsThe fasting blood glucose, 1- and 2-hour blood glucose were lowered after the behavior intervention in the study group (P<0.05), which were also significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05). Fasting blood glucose, 1- and 2-hour pathoglycemia was significantly lower in the study group than that in the control group and that before intervention (P<0.05). ConclusionCombination of diets and exercises can control levels of blood glucose in GDM patients, and is an important therapy for GDM.
ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and compliance of children children with refractory epilepsy receiving ketogenic diet (KD) in outpatient department with children receiving KD treatment in inpatient department. MethodsA retrospective study of 44 children with intractable epilepsy receiving the modified classical ketogenic diets in outpatient department from June 2014 to December 2015, who were followed-up during the third, sixth and twelfth month. Records of epileptic seizures and adverse reactions were used to evaluate the efficacy and retention rate of inpatient department KD treatment in children with refractory epilepsy, and compared with 104 children receiving KD treatment in inpatient department at the same period. ResultsThirty-four of the forty-four children comleted observation after 12-month follow-up, 15 cases had been seizure freedom, 22 cases had more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency, 12 patients had less than 50% reduction in seizure frequency.The total effective rate of the KD therapy in outpatient department was 64.7%, and the retention rate was 71%. 18 of of the 104 children with KD treatment in inpatient department at the same period comleted observation after 12-month follow-up, 3 cases had been seizure freedom, 5 cases had more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency, 13 cases had less than 50% reduction in seizure frequency.The total effective rate of the KD therapy in inpatient department was 27.8%, and the retention rate was 17.3%. ConclusionThe KD therapy in outpatient department is effective to children with intractable epilepsy, and there is a highly efficacy and compliance of children receiving KD in outpatient department comparing with children receiving KD in inpatient department. Therefore, it's optional to children with refractory epilepsy who can't received KD by inpatient department because of insufficient number of beds.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of medical counseling games on ketogenic diet therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy children. MethodsA total of 98 children with drug-resistant epilepsy admitted to the neurology ward of Shenzhen Children's Hospital from January 2023 to June 2024 who were treated with ketogenic diet for the first time were selected as the study objects by random number table method, and were divided into observation group (n=49) and control group (n=49). The control group received the traditional multidisciplinary team health education mode, while the observation group received the ketogenic diet treatment based on the multidisciplinary team health education mode and participated in the customized medical counseling games intervention. The time of children reaching ketosis, the knowledge level of ketogenic diet caregivers and the retention rate of children on ketogenic diet were compared between the two groups. ResultsThe time of ketosis in observation group was earlier than that in control group (P<0.05). The knowledge level of the main caregivers of ketogenic diet and the retention rate of children with ketogenic diet at 3 months and 6 months in observation group were higher than those in control group (P<0.05). ConclusionThe use of medical counseling games in the ketogenic diet for medically refractory epilepsy is an effective therapeutic strategy that facilitates the early attainment of ketosis in children with medically refractory epilepsy, improves the knowledge of caregivers on the ketogenic diet, improves retention of children on the ketogenic diet, and serves to optimize the effectiveness of clinical outcomes, which may contribute to the quality of life of children with medically refractory epilepsy.
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a refractory epileptic encephalopathy that mainly affects children, but can also involve adults, and is characterized by multiple seizure types, electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities, and mental retardation. This review focuses on the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria, and treatment of LGS. In terms of etiology, LGS may be caused by a variety of factors such as abnormal brain development, perinatal brain injury, inherited metabolic diseases, and gene mutations. The pathogenesis involves multiple gene mutations that affect the balance of neuronal excitability and inhibition.LGS is diagnosed on the basis of multiple seizure types with an age of onset of less than 18 years, an EEG that shows widespread slow (1.5~2.5 Hz) spiking slow complex waves, and a triad of intellectual and psychosocial dysfunction. Therapeutically, LGS is treated with antiepileptic seizure medications (ASMs) , including valproate, lamotrigine, and rufinamide, but patients often develop resistance to ASMs. Non-pharmacological treatments include ketogenic diet, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) , and corpus callosotomy (CC) , which provide palliative treatment options for patients who have difficulty controlling seizures. Despite the variety of therapeutic options, the prognosis for LGS is usually poor, with patients often experiencing intellectual disability and seizures persisting into adulthood. This review emphasizes the importance of further research into the etiology and pathogenesis of LGS and the need to develop new therapeutic approaches to improve patients' quality of life and reduce the burden of disease.